Talk Back: from our contributors

The Story Behind The Story

Read below about how our contributors learned new things while working on this month’s edition of Life@Home.

Tool Time

Laurie Freehafer: The most surprising thing I learned while interviewing tool experts is that not one of them said to invest in a high-end … anything. They almost universally said that until you know you’ll be doing a lot of tool-required tasks, a lower-end set of tools is fine. Another thing I learned was all sorts of interesting uses for power drills. It makes me want to buy one of my own just to scrub my pots and play Drill Guitar. See Laurie’s story here.

Debt Check

Ann Hughes:I love buying things on sale, so I don’t usually pass up the chance to open a credit card account and save an extra 25 percent. I had no idea though that those store-specific cards can hurt you the most if you carry a balance. Luckily, the experts gave me some great tips for avoiding and getting out from under the dreaded credit card debt. See Ann’s story here.

Poster Wars

Brianna Snyder: When I was a kid, my mom wouldn’t let me put posters on the wall unless they were framed, which I thought was the dumbest/stuffiest thing ever. But she figured that if walls were going to be damaged by tacks and tape, they might as well look orderly, and so my Leonardo DiCaprio poster went into a frame. Turned out not to be so bad, and that ends up being the secret to dealing with teens and their bedrooms: you have to compromise! See Brianna’s story here.

Mulch Madness

Colleen Plimpton: When advising folks whose gardens are to be on tour, I always advocate weeding, edging and applying a fresh coat of organic mulch. Such efforts cover a multitude of garden sins! See Colleen’s story here.

Diaper Days

Cari Scribner: I have 3 children, and although I used cloth diapers whenever I could, when I had two boys in diapers I relied on disposables. I’m aghast how many disposable diapers are piling up in landfills and applaud people who are seeking alternatives. If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t make the same choices – I’d put the environment as a higher priority over convenience. See Cari’s story here.

Mustard Talk

John Adamian: Like everybody, I’ve slathered all kinds of mustards on sandwiches. But during all that time, I was never quite sure I had a clear sense of what mustard seeds really tasted like. I always associated the flavor of the condiment with the bite of vinegar and maybe the heat of horseradish. It turns out that mustard is the flavor of mustard! Stupid as that sounds. This was kind of a revelation to me. It’s fun to realize that one can make some of those kitchen essentials in one’s own home. See John’s story here.